The Choice
by TheIrishLily
Summary: A choice must be made- set after ep 47


**Okay I was watching Inuyasha a few days ago and I was on episode 47 and this suddenly came to me. It's one of those ideas I have always wanted to write but wasn't sure how so here it is :)**

**Warning: Kikyo is on my hit list and she is number 1, this story is not for Kikyo fans :)**

**Hope you all enjoy this**

**I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters. All rights go to the owner and creator of Inuyasha.**

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The silence was deafening. Not a sound came from the forest, not even a wisp of wind. Everything seemed to stand still for Kagome. She didn't mean to be late but now she was regretting coming back. Her heart ached at what she saw a few moments ago between the Inu she fell in love with and the woman that wanted him dead for a crime he never committed.

"_Kikyo! I won't let Naraku have you! Only I can protect you from him!"_

Pain like nothing else struck her heart as she looked at Inuyasha. _'He can't even look away from me.'_

"K-Kagome..." Inuyasha didn't know what to say. He knew Kagome had been there but how much did she see?

"I um..." Kagome trailed off. She couldn't trust her voice as it would be a dead give away to how much she was hurting. Inuyasha moved forward slightly but it did no good. Kagome took a step back and without thinking, she ran away.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled but she didn't stop. Tears blurred her vision as she ran.

_'Inuyasha... she tried to kill you yet you treat her as if she has done nothing wrong.' _Kagome thought as she reached the village. Quickly wiping away her tears, she went straight to Kaede's hut where Sango, Miroku and Shippo were with Kaede.

"Kagome, ye are back." Kaede said with surprise in her voice.

"Uh yeah." Kagome said softly. She went to reach for her bag and realized she left it in the clearing where she had found Inuyasha and Kikyo.

"Kagome! What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Shippo demanded. "You have been crying."

"Uh..." Kagome was backed against the wall as Sango checked her over.

"You don't have any marks or wounds. What happened?" Sango asked when they all sat down. Kagome looked at her knees and knew sooner or later they would all find out.

"Was it Lady Kikyo?" Miroku asked shocking Kagome. "Kaede and I saw the lost souls earlier this morning."

"Yeah." Kagome whispered as she kept her eyes to the ground. "I was running late..." Kagome told them everything and it was no surprise to see the anger in Sango's eyes but the disappointment in Miroku's eyes was enough to make her want to cry.

"It seems Inuyasha cannot let go of the past." Miroku sighed. "Lady Kagome..."

"I'm going back." Kagome said softly shocking everyone in the room. "It's alright. We all know I don't have the power or strength that Kikyo has. Inuyasha will be fine without me."

"What about us?!" Sango exclaimed.

"I'm sorry Sango but I can't stay here." Kagome said in a pain filled voice. "It's getting too hard for me to stay."

"Why?!" Shippo cried.

"I love him Shippo." Was all Kagome said before she left the hut.

"The pain of seeing Kikyo and Inuyasha together is becoming too much for Kagome." Sango said sadly. "That idiot!"

"No...I won't let Kagome leave!" Shippo yelled as he left the hut.

"Shippo!" Everyone yelled. Shippo sniffed and found Inuyasha's scent. He would make the Inu see sense. He had to!

Inuyasha had no idea how long he was walking until he came to the God Tree. Sighing as he placed his claw on the spot where Kikyo pinned him 50 years ago. _'How did things get so bad between us Kikyo? I thought you were my friend.'_

"Inuyasha." Inuyasha turned around expecting to see Kikyo but she wasn't there. No one was. Shaking his head, he sat down and crossed his arms. Looking to the sky he wondered what to do.

"Inuyasha!" Inuyasha's ears picked up Shippo's distressed cry and stood up right away. "Thank goodness! Kagome is leaving us! For good!"

"W-What?!" Inuyasha exclaimed.

"Inuyasha, she is hurting." Shippo said sadly.

"What?! Who hurt her?!" Inuyasha yelled as his claws began to lengthen.

"You and Kikyo." Sango said from behind Shippo. Shippo turned around and saw Sango standing beside Miroku in the clearing. They must have followed him.

"What?" Inuyasha asked shocked.

"Inuyasha, who do you truly love?" Miroku asked. "Kikyo, the woman that wanted you to wish to become human but pinned you to the God Tree. Or Kagome, the woman that loves you just the way you are and fought to be by your side? Even when you pushed her away."

"I..." Inuyasha knew there was no competition. Kagome was always there for him. She trusted him with her life and soul. That was something that Kikyo would never do. Even when he went full demon, Kagome never left his side. "Where is she?"

"She left 10 minutes ago." Sango said softly. "I don't know..." She was cut off by a scream that came from within the forest. Inuyasha knew that scream too well.

"Kagome!" Without hesitating, Inuyasha ran towards the sound. _'Hold on Kagome. I'm coming. This time I won't leave you. I am an idiot but I won't let anything happen to you. I swear.'_

Meanwhile by the well

Kagome couldn't believe it. She knew Inuyasha loved Kikyo and Kikyo loved him but wanted him to follow into Hell with her. She thought she was over it but seeing them together, embracing like old lovers. Kagome clenched her eyes shut and tried to ignore the pain in her heart at the image. She didn't expect it to hurt so much. Lost in her thoughts, Kagome did not feel Kikyo's aura decend upon hers until it was too late.

"K-Kikyo." Kagome stammered under Kikyo's intense gaze.

"You saw myself and Inuyasha earlier." Kikyo said. It was more of a statement than a question.

"Y-Yes." Kagome had no idea why she was so afraid of the clay miko but she was. "What do you want Kikyo? Inuyasha is not here." Kagome said in a slightly quieter tone.

"I am here for the rest of my soul girl." Kikyo said as she notched her arrow onto her bow before Kagome could blink.

_'Damn! I left my bow at Kaede's. Inuyasha is going to kill me if Kikyo doesn't.' _Kagome thought. Panic began to overwhelm her but she managed to tamper it down.

"Kikyo, we both know you died 50 years ago here." Kagome said as she slowly stood up. She had to buy time until the others came. That's if they came.

"You are a fool. A weak one." Kikyo said as she aimed her arrow at Kagome. "Inuyasha cannot truly be mine until you are gone." Without a moment to waste, Kikyo released the arrow.

A white blinding pain shot through Kagome's arm like nothing she ever felt before. Before she realized it, Kagome let out a scream of pain as she fell to the ground. Slowly moving her head, she saw that Kikyo's arrow was embedded in her shoulder blade. A through and through.

"Give me what is mine." Kikyo said as she closed her eyes. Kagome cried out in pain as she felt her soul trying to leave her body. She fought as hard as she could but it was no use. The pain from the arrow in her shoulder was too much.

"I-Inu-Inuyasha." Kagome whispered as the world began to grow dark around her.

"My soul." Kikyo smiled but it was cold and cruel smile. Kagome's last thought was of the Inu Hanyou that would never know how much she truly loved him.

"Kagome!" Kagome opened her eyes weakly only to see a familiar flash of red before her.

Inuyasha was in panic mode. He knew something was wrong but what he saw before him broke his heart. Kikyo turned to embrace the hanyou but he shot straight past her. Inuyasha fell to his knees before Kagome and gently raised her head with shaking claws.

"Kagome." Inuyasha whimpered at the sight of her. She was pale and losing blood fast.

"Inu." Kagome whispered as she focused on him. "I'm sorry."

"W-What? You have nothing to be sorry for." Inuyasha held in a sob as he cradled her in his arms.

"What is going on?!" Sango exclaimed. The scene before her was enough to make her want to scream in pain and in anger. Miroku was shocked by what he saw, he knew right there and then, the choice would be made by Inuyasha. Shippo sobbed as he leaned into Sango, he loved Kagome like a second mother and seeing her like that was heartbreaking for him.

"I have reclaimed my soul." Kikyo's cold and even voice filled the area making Inuyasha growl dangerously. His amber eyes began to bleed red as a jagged blue stripe slowly formed but his claws remained the same.

For once Hanyou and Youkai were working together.

"Inuyasha?" Kikyo asked. She had heard of him going full youkai before but she did not expect this.

"You attacked Kagome." Inuyasha hissed as he laid Kagome on the ground. Due to the pain, she passed out in his arms. He could hear her heart beat though it was growing weaker by the second. It would only be a matter of minutes before she left him for good. That was something he would not allow. She promised him she would stay by his side and by the Kami he was going to hold her to it.

"You wanted me back Inuyasha. You called my name." Kikyo stated coldly.

"A mistake I made." Inuyasha said flexing his claws. "Release Kagome's soul now."

"No. I am stronger and I will complete the jewel. You swore yourself to me." Kikyo hissed at him.

"I was under a spell when you made me promise. I swore I would protect Kagome and I failed her before but I will not fail her now. I will protect her!" He said seriously.

"He has made his choice." Miroku said with a small sigh of relief.

"Kagome?" Sango whispered and Miroku nodded. Shippo watched as Kagome opened her eyes and watched with pained filled blue eyes as the scene unfolded.

"Inuyasha." Kikyo said shocked. "You love me not her."

"Really? How can I love a woman that would kill someone for a soul? Kagome is the true owner of her soul not you." Inuyasha said seriously. "I was a fool to think you were a friend. I saw past the illusion and knew it wasn't you but you...no you didn't see the truth. You never trusted me because I'm a hanyou. You wanted mt to get rid of my youkai blood."

"It was the only way that we could be together." Kikyo said. She was losing him! She never loses anything!

"No." Kagome whispered. Inuyasha turned around and stared at her with wide red eyes but the amber was swirling within. "You never loved him."

"Of course I did."

"Then you wouldn't want him to get rid of a side that is a part of him." Kagome whispered as pain racked her body. "Inu...I love you the way you are." She whispered as she looked into his red eyes. "I love you."

"Kagome no!" Inuyasha cried as she closed her eyes and her heat beat stopped. The amber in his eyes disappeared completely as his youkai blood took over. "You will die clay bitch." He hissed as he turned around. Kikyo shot a glance towards Miroku and Sango who both stood there with tears rolling down their faces. Shippo was leaning against Sango sobbing out for his adoptive mother.

"Inuyasha." Kikyo whispered as Inuyasha walked over to her. He raised his claws but as he did, Kikyo saw something inside them. Regret and pity. "It's always been her."

"Always and forever. Be at peace." He said as with one slash, everything ended for Kikyo. She closed her eyes and allowed her senses to go numb.

_'So this is what it feels to die without pain. At least he will be happy. I only regret it was not me loving him the way he should be.'_

Kikyo disappeared into ashes leaving only a few glowing white orbs.

"The souls of the dead." Miroku said sadly as the glowing white orbs descended up towards the sky. All apart from one that floated gently towards Inuyasha and Kagome.

The red faded from Inuyasha's eyes as he rushed to Kagome's side and cradled her lifeless form in his arms. He removed the sword quickly wincing at the smell of blood that surrounded her. He looked at the sky with tears falling from his amber eyes.

"Why?" He whispered. Everyone in his life always got hurt because of him. He lost his father when he was born and years later his mother died leaving him alone in the world. He was alone until he met Kikyo and mistook love for friendship. He needed someone to want him and care for him. He thought he found it but he should have ran when Kikyo asked him to become human. Then that betrayal and being pinned to the tree. He thought he found peace and was safe from the real world until she came along and freed him from the prison he was in.

Kagome. She brought light and love into his life. At first it was just them then Shippo came, Miroku and finally Sango. He had friends, a pack. Everything he could want but instead he was a fool. He pushed her away because he was scared. He was ignoring what he truly wanted and now because of that, his light was gone, leaving him in darkness.

"I'm so sorry Kagome." He whispered as he leaned against her forehead. "I should have told you the truth. I love you." He whispered as tears touched her cold face. "Do not worry my love. I'll be joining you soon." Lost in his own grief, he did not see the white orb touch Kagome's chest and disappear into her.

"Inuyasha." Inuyasha sucked in a breath of air as a pair of beautiful blue eyes stared up at him. "I hope you weren't going to..."

"Kagome." Inuyasha breathed as he held her tightly against his body. At that moment he knew without a doubt that he would never let her go. "You will never leave me again!" He declared making her gasp as she pulled back.

"But Kikyo..."

"Is dead. I was an idiot Kagome." He said seriously. "I misunderstood my feelings for her. They were friendship or what I thought they were." He said. "It's always been you."

"Inuyasha what are you saying?" Kagome couldn't breathe. She didn't dare to hope that he was saying what she think he was.

"I love you Kagome." He said with a smile. Kagome's eyes widened as happiness overflowed her senses as she hugged him with everything she had. It dawned on her that she had an arrow in her shoulder and went to pull away but Inuyasha was too strong for her.

"Inu, the arrow."

"I removed it while you were..." He trailed off making her nod.

"So I can take it this means our Kagome is a claimed woman." Miroku smirked making Inuyasha growl.

"Of course she is monk!" Inuyasha growled but Kagome noticed it wasn't a dangerous growl. She smiled as she rubbed one of his ears making him smile at her.

"Just like he is claimed. Oh no!" She suddenly gasped.

"What?" Sango asked worried.

"Koga will..."

"Not step in." Miroku said seriously. "Come you two. I believe Inuyasha wants some alone time with his woman." Miroku smiled as he walked away with Sango who was holding a protesting Shippo.

"Don't worry about that wolf." Inuyasha said looking at his woman with laughter in his eyes. It felt good to say that.

"But Inu." She whimpered. Inuyasha smirked as he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. Kagome's senses shut down as his lips touched hers. Complete heaven.

"We can handle it together." He whispered against her lips. Nodding slightly before closing the distance between them, Kagome knew they could face anything together. As long as they had each other and their friends, nothing was impossible.

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**There we have it. I may end up making a sequel, depends on the demands for one ;)  
**

**So please review and tell me whatcha think**

**If you didn't like it then please no flames thank you :)  
**

**Until next time**

**TheBlueLily~**


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